1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a toilet seat positioning assembly, which is electrically powered to selectively raise and/or lower the toilet seat by manual activation of a control switch preferably, but not necessarily, comprising a foot pedal assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In most households it is common practice for more than one individual of the same family or group to share the same toilet facilities. Female members of the family or household community require that the toilet seat be placed in lowered position so as to directly overly the toilet bowl. To the contrary, male members of the family normally prefer the toilet seat to be in an oppositely disposed, raised position during the performance of at least some of the normal bodily functions. Because of the necessity to share the same toilet, it is a common complaint of both male and female family members that other members, of the opposite gender, tend to leave the toilet in the xe2x80x9cwrongxe2x80x9d position. This of course requires the current user of the toilet to position the seat in the preferred orientation.
Therefore, both male and female users encounter the same problem when required to manually orient the toilet seat into a preferred position by physically contacting the exposed, outer or under surfaces of the toilet seat. Contact with the toilet seat obviously exposes the user to potentially hazardous health conditions by coming into direct contact with bacteria, germs, etc. from bodily fluids which may have inadvertently contacted the toilet seat. Moreover, the raising or lowering of a toilet seat may be difficult for younger children, physically handicapped individuals or the elderly. Such individuals may have difficulty in bending or otherwise positioning themselves so as to locate the toilet seat in a preferred orientation. In the case of infants or younger children, it is not uncommon for the toilet seat to be inadvertently dropped into the lowered position, possibly resulting in injury if the toilet seat falls on a child""s hand, finger, etc.
In recognition of the disadvantages and problems of the type set forth above, there have been numerous attempts to design a lifting or positioning device structured to facilitate the automatic raising and/or lowering of the toilet seat. As used herein and as commonly recognized in this field, the term xe2x80x9cautomaticxe2x80x9d is generally meant to be descriptive of a variety of devices which selectively position the toilet seat without requiring the user to touch, grip or otherwise come into direct contact with it.
In spite of the recognition of the problems associated with positioning the toilet seat and the many attempts to design and/or produce automatic toilet seat positioning devices, it is obvious that there is a scarcity of such positioning devices being commercially offered to the public or in actual use by the general population. A review of representative attempts to design an efficient, commercially attractive toilet seat positioning device clearly indicates that such known devices appear to be extremely complicated, rendering them difficult to install and possibly less than totally reliable for continued, repetitive operation.
More specifically, known attempts to overcome the problems and disadvantages associated with positioning a toilet seat for use, as generally set forth above, typically involve manually or hydraulically powered devices. Such devices frequently comprise an assembly of articulated components, including elongated arms and/or lifting devices, which are pivotally attached to one another. Moreover, this collection of interactive components are secured to some portion of the toilet seat, such as about the peripheral edge or along the under surface thereof.
A well known category of prior art or known devices include a foot activated lever or pedal assembly, wherein manual force applied thereto facilitates the positioning of the toilet seat in the desired orientation by the interaction of the plurality of the interconnected components. In addition, foot activated assemblies may also include force generating piston and cylinder assemblies utilizing some type of hydraulic fluid or air to raise and lower the toilet seat. By way of example, the outer most end of the piston is connected to the toilet seat and may be forced into an outwardly extended or inwardly retracted position in order to obtain the desired orientation of the toilet seat.
Another category of toilet seat positioning devices incorporates the use of some type biasing structure or spring assembly, which is mounted in direct association with a hinge serving to pivotally connect the toilet seat to the toilet bowl for proper positioning thereof. In this category of devices the toilet seat is usually biased into a vertical or at least partially raised orientation, thereby requiring that the user touch or otherwise engage the exposed surfaces of the toilet seat in order to orient it into the lowered position.
Yet even more complicated toilet seat positioning devices are designed to aid the physically challenged or incapacitated, elderly individuals. Such devices involve structural features which allow for the temporary detachment of the toilet seat from the toilet bowl and the orientation thereof outwardly into a position which is more easily accessible by a handicapped or incapacitated individual. Such devices may also be operated by a variety of different types of control or switching assemblies. Control devices of this type may be either foot or hand operated so as to selectively position the toilet seat back into an operative position, while the seat at least partially bears the weight of the individual in order to aid his or her positioning relative to the toilet bowl.
A review of the various categories of automatic toilet seat positioning devices, of the type generally set forth above, provides a clear indication that the lack of commercial acceptance by the consuming public is based, at least to a large extent, on the fact that such devices are unattractive when installed and generally not xe2x80x9cconsumer friendlyxe2x80x9d. More specifically, numerous known devices are overly complex, difficult and cumbersome to operate, require considerable amount of space for their operative positioning and are difficult, if not impossible, to install without specialized tools or specific experience or training in the operation and structure of such positioning devices.
Therefore, there is a recognized need in this area for an improved automatic toilet seat positioning assembly which is effective and efficient in its operation and consistently reliable for continuous and/or repetitive use. If any such improved toilet seat positioning assembly were developed, it should be compact in its design and structure, safe and reliable in its operation and capable of being easily and quickly installed, particularly by women consumers, without the use of expensive and/or complicated tools or equipment. In addition, the structural and design features of any such improved toilet seat positioning assembly should be such as to allow its purchase as part of the toilet seat assembly. As such, both the positioning assembly and toilet seat can be installed as an integrated unit in a manner substantially similar to that used to install a conventional toilet seat. Alternatively, any improved positioning assembly should be capable of being sold and purchased independently and structurally adaptable to be easily and quickly installed on existing toilet seat structures.
The present invention is directed to a toilet seat positioning assembly structured to selectively orient a toilet seat in either a raised or lowered position relative to the toilet bowl on which it is mounted without requiring the user to grip or otherwise directly contact the toilet seat. The positioning assembly of the present invention is distinguishable, at least in part, from known or conventional toilet seat lifting devices by virtue of its efficiently compact size. As such, at least a portion of the positioning assembly may be mounted on an upper expose surface of the base of the toilet bowl, to which the seat is secured and substantially adjacent to or at least partially within a hinge assembly associated with the toilet seat. In addition, the versatility and adaptability of the positioning assembly of the present invention is such as to allow it to be commercially available to the consuming public as an integrated, working part of a toilet seat. The toilet seat positioning assembly is adaptable, with little or no structural modification, to be operatively connected to an existing, previously installed toilet seat in an effective manner without requiring the use of complicated or specialized tools or any unusual mechanical proficiency.
More specifically, the toilet seat positioning assembly of the present invention comprises a drive assembly including a drive motor which is preferably electrically powered and rotatably connected to a drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected in rotationally driving relation to the hinge assembly, or at least the portion thereof which serves to pivotally connect the toilet seat to a base of the toilet bowl. In typical fashion, by virtue of such pivotal connection the toilet seat is capable of being disposed in either a raised or lowered position. Accordingly, the drive motor is specifically structured to be reversible so as to selectively rotate the drive shaft, and accordingly the portion of the hinge to which the drive shaft is attached, in opposite directions. Therefore, the user of the positioning assembly of the present invention will have the ability, through manipulation of an associated control assembly, to either raise or lower the toilet seat thereby placing it in the desired orientation for use.
In at least one preferred embodiment, to be described in greater detailed hereinafter, the control assembly includes a manually activatable switch which comprises one or more foot pedals. The foot pedals, or other manually activatable switch assembly is electrically connected to the drive motor by conventional electrical conductors. In addition, the control assembly includes operative circuitry associated with an electrical power source for activating the drive motor when the foot pedal or other switching assembly is employed. Moreover, the control assembly is structured to selectively control the operation of the drive motor in either of two opposite directions so as to accommodate the raising or lowering of the toilet seat, as set forth above.
It is emphasized that the switching assembly associated with the control assembly may assume forms other than a foot activated pedal structure. By way of example, the switching assembly could be associated with a somewhat conventional wall mounted flip or double-throw switch or similar structure. In a more sophisticated example, the switching assembly could be sound and/or light activated. By way of example only, the drive motor could automatically raise and/or lower the toilet seat upon the activation of a light source within the bathroom facility or the emanation of a sound from the user, such as by the clapping of hands.
Other structural and operative features of the positioning assembly of the present invention include a housing or casing in which the drive motor is mounted, being sufficiently structured to prevent exposure of the drive motor or any electrical connections or components associated therewith, to any liquid. The drive motor housing, while being of reduced size to enable its mounting substantially adjacent the toilet seat, could be made of a light weight yet strong, durable material, so as to restrict unauthorized or inadvertent access to the drive motor and/or drive gear assembly associated therewith, by children, pets, etc.
One of the many structural and operative features of the toilet positioning assembly of the present invention which renders it more practical, and therefore more commercially attractive, is the ability to mount the drive assembly in an extremely small space and in direct driving connection with the hinge assembly pivotally securing the toilet seat to the toilet bowl. Moreover, the structural features of the positioning assembly, as well as its compact size, allow it to be commercially available as an operative component of a toilet seat assembly, wherein the toilet seat and the positioning assembly could be commercially available as a kit or unitary operable unit.
Alternatively, with little or no structural modification, the positioning assembly of the present invention could be adapted for removable connection to an existing, previously installed toilet seat. Therefore, included in one or more of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is the provision of an adaptor. The adaptor serves to drivingly connect the drive shaft to at least a portion of the hinge assembly of the toilet seat and may be structured to establish a fixed or removable attachment therebetween.
In either of the above noted embodiments, installation and/or adaptability of the positioning assembly of the present invention to a toilet seat would primarily involve the mounting of the toilet seat on the toilet bowl. In the conventional fashion, mounting bolts are positioned to pass through preexisting holes formed in the porcelain base of the toilet bowl. The securement of such mounting bolts is easily accomplished by means of any applicable bolt fasteners, nuts, or like connectors. When the toilet seat is mounted in this conventional fashion, the drive assembly, including the drive motor and drive shaft, could be fixedly or removably positioned on an exposed surface of the base of the toilet bowl. In such an embodiment, the drive motor would be disposed substantially adjacent to the toilet seat such that the drive shaft is disposed in direct driving connection to a portion of the hinge assembly which is secured to and moves with the toilet seat.
In yet another preferred embodiment the drive assembly, being of a significantly compact and reduced size, is mounted adjacent the toilet seat and at least partially within one of two hollow, annular sockets or channels which accompany most conventional hinge assemblies for toilet seats. The drive shaft associated with the drive motor fixedly connected in driving relation to the portion of the hinge assembly which rotates with the toilet seat as it is raised or lowered into a preferred position.
Therefore, installation of the positioning assembly of the present invention is extremely simple, in any of its preferred embodiments, since it primarily involves the interconnection of the toilet seat and toilet bowl in the conventional fashion, as set forth above.